INDONESIA

Indonesia, land of contrasts.

Here follows a glimpse of what I saw and experienced in the one month I spent in Indonesia.It's a huge country, as you can see, stretching over 7000km wide, spanning hundreds of tribes and cultures. I was only on one island, Java, and so many things on it alone took time to digest.It's a real shame that the first two weeks of pictures (over three hundred in total) were all lost the moment my CF card somehow refused to cooperate. Pictures of the first days in Jakarta, all the migrant workers I talked to, the organisations I interviewed, Malang, Blitar, Borobodur...so many...  

law is everywhere, even in public toilets

What if they tease us?

At your own risk

...and who will supervise the guardians/parents?

quaint

Even monkeys are law-abiding and cross roads at certain places only...

Instead of "Uniquely Singapore", "Clean and Safe"should be the tourist bureau's motto

It speaks for itself

VERY creative anti-smoking campaign on the pedestrian crossing

Creative anti-smoking campaign

...you'd think with signs like this on the roads Singaporean are friendly people

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Signs and fines galore!
No visit is complete to Singapore without encounters with signs with warnings of whopping fines on them


Seriously, you wonder how Singapore is kept so clean...

Panorama Singapore Harbour from the Southern-est point on the Asian Continent

Siloso Beach...a 'clean' beach with 'blue' waters overlooking one of the busiest ports in the world...not a good idea to go swimming.

Overcast: not exactly a nice day at the beach

A lot of the landscape was artificially made

The sign says it all, and it's on Sentosa

Sentosa Island, Singapore recreation resort, with museums, beaches, theme parks and more!

Walk around McRitchie Resevoir: the path was pleasant and well organised, as is everything else in Singapore

Walk around McRitchie Resevoir: turtles bathing

Walk around McRitchie Resevoir: another kind of furry local. A whole pack of around ten of these macaques came to me begging for food (giving them would set me back S$5000 in fines)

Walk around McRitchie Resevoir: a 'furry' local in the forest

Walk around McRitchie Resevoir: tunnel vision...the more you walk the more it seems like the forest around you blurs away

Walk around McRitchie Resevoir: it was a 12km walk around the lake, which I completed in just under three hours...after the walk I began to feel ill. I thought it may have been from the mosquito bites, but perhaps it was just exhaustion in the heat

Exotic plant at Botanical Garden

Exotic plant at Botanical Garden

Exotic plant at Botanical Garden

Orchids at Botanical Garden

Orchids at Botanical Garden

Orchids at Botanical Garden

Orchids at Botanical Garden

Orchids at Botanical Garden

Orchids at Botanical Garden

Orchids at Botanical Garden

Orchids at Botanical Garden

Orchids at Botanical Garden

Orchids at Botanical Garden

Orchids at Botanical Garden

Orchids at Botanical Garden (there were some special orchids named after famous dignitories, but I can't remember which is supposed to be named after who...)

Wild tucan at the Botanical Garden...first time I ever saw something like this, and completely wild! Imagine just a few steps away is a busy road and the city

Shopping street in Little India...cloths, spices, jewelries and Hindi music and film are sold here

Hindu temple in Little India

typical colonial style row-houses in Chinatown

Funny these brightly coloured houses and window flaps are supposed to be in the heart of Chinatown....a curry mix of civilisations

Billboards with all sorts of delicious Chinese delicacies...clam soup, chicken essence, harbour fish, just to name a few

Chinatown in Singapore. It's a bit strange to have a Chinatown in this city-state, since the overwhelming majority of people are of Chinese descent...but then again, to be fair there is also a Little India and Arabia

Tiramisu and tea at the Fullerton...only S$15!

Merlion at night